Hold Me Closer

There's only one word to describe this book: G A Y.

I mean that in the best way possible. I mean one of the first songs in this musical novel is called "A Big Gay Baby". Which basically begins the start of Tiny Cooper's life.

So Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story is the musical companion novel to Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which I absolutely loved. The idea behind this book is that Tiny wrote a musical about all of the boys he's ever loved and all the boys he's lost. It deals with him trying to find his place in the world and trying to find someone to share it with.

Written in musical format, it goes through everything he's been through. From the beginning of his life to the end of his last relationship with his 18th boyfriend, Will Grayson. What I loved most about this was that the music numbers were so cheesy and fantastic. He even suggested a "homoerotic baseball scene" and compares it to "I Don't Dance" from High School Musical 2 and I was DYING as I pictured it.

So if you loved Will Grayson, Will Grayson, you're bound to love Hold Me Closer too!!

Looking for the rest of the series?

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (Will Grayson #1)

Looking for other books by David Levithan?

Every Day (Every Day #1)

Another Day (Every Day #2)

Someday (Every Day #3)

The Realm of Possibility

Answers in the Pages

Lust Killer

So, this is actually the first true crime book I've read that had a serial killer with an actual fetish.

Jerry Brudos - ladies shoes extraordinaire.

Oh yeah, and that's partly how he chooses who to rob, murder, and rape.

At 16 years old, he assaulted the neighbor girl and instructed her to pose for nude pictures. But that was just the beginning of his fantasies. They soon went from naked women, to having a sex slave, to dressing in women's bras, garters, and slips, but mostly...it was just the sight of high heeled shoes that drove him absolutely crazy.

But here's the craziest part about Jerry..... he was married and had two kids!

His wife, Darcie, had no idea who this man she married was. I mean, she was 17 when they met and got married after finding out she was pregnant, three months into knowing each other. She was essentially his slave. He kept Darcie in the dark about everything he was doing. He quite literally locked her out of their "shop" which he claimed was a darkroom for developing his photography (which is was but it was much, much darker than your average darkroom).

He had turned this shop into his own torture chamber.

He kept several victims in there, just feet away from his wife and kids.

He would abduct these women, lock them away, strangle them to death, and then proceed to have sex with their dead bodies. It was gruesome.

The way he confessed his killings to law enforcement was chilling. He showed little to know emotion as he bragged about is crimes, even confessing to crimes they didn't even know he was tied to. They knew they had the right guy when he was giving exact details of car engine (used as weights to submerge the women's bodies in water), that one victim was on her period at the time of her abduction, and several other things that he didn't realize they would be able to use against him.

In the end, he was given three consecutive life sentences in the Oregon State Penitentiary.

Looking for other books by Ann Rule?

The Stranger Beside Me

Lying in Wait

Without Pity

Dear Martin

The world needs a book like this.

Teens need a book like this.

Black kids need a book like this.

Dear Martin started as a project for Justyce after he was unjustly arrested.

The reality of his "crime" was trying to convince his girlfriend not to drive drunk.  When an officer pulled up....he assumed Jus was carjacking a white girl (even though Melo is half-black). The idea behind this project was to write letters to someone he looked up to, Martin Luther King, Jr.

That's where this story of injustice begins.

It deals with gun violence, prejudice, wrongful convictions, and sometimes no convictions at all. It was a short read, which I think hindered my appreciation of it. I think developing the characters a little more would have helped with that. But the overall story dealt with something that happens every single day. We tend to turn a blind eye when something isn't directly effecting us, but it doesn't mean it's not still happening.

I have read other reviews that recommend reading Dear Martin and The Hate U Give (THUG) to have a deeper grasp on the reality of what happens on a day to day basis in black communities. I have not read THUG yet but I plan on grabbing a copy soon.

 

Looking for the rest of the series?

Dear Justyce

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

I just... I just don't even have the words to describe the emotional whirlwind this book just sent me on. I don't know that I've ever cried like that over another character (well, besides Damon from Vampire Diaries, but that's different).

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is one of those books where I don't want to give away too much of the story because it's all tied so closely together that just saying one thing might ruin the entire book for someone. But I will give you guys a quick, basic rundown of the story.

After an exhausting day at work, 23 year old, April May stumbles upon an amazing piece of art. This huge metal Transformer looking creation. Now, why has she never seen this guy before?! She calls up her friend, Andy, to come shoot a video of the art she has affectionately dubbed, "Carl". They never expected this video to become a viral sensation overnight and they really never expected to hear the phrase "alien life form" about Carl, or hear that Carls have been popping up all over the world since their video first streamed. The fascination with the Carls soon takes hold of April and Andy's life with no intention of letting go any time soon. April becomes the face of this new group and soon loses herself in it all. 

 

But the overall story is like nothing I have ever read before and I loved every second of it.

Looking for the rest of the series?

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor